It’s MADNESS!
I love this time of year! I do, I do, I do. It blows my mind every year to see how many people take off work, skip work, call in sick or watch a few games from their cubicle–a lot of these people don’t even care about basketball. It’s all about the bracket pool!
For the basketball purist like myself, the NCAA Basketball Tournament is guaranteed to thrill, based on the singular fact that anything can happen. Anything. Can. Happen. And will. At some point, a No. 16 will upset a No. 1. Could it happen this year? Highly unlikely–but you just never know. And who will be the 2010 Cinderella? The Big Red of Cornell? The Racers from Murray State? What about Tubby Smith and the Minnesota Golden Gophers, or the UTEP Miners?
Let’s get down to brass tacks, and let’s hit it at a rapid pace:
The No. 1 Seeds
Kansas, Kentucky, Duke and Syracuse.
Syracuse is the weak link, and the No. 1 seed should have gone to West Virigina in the West. Two words: Transition defense. If a team can push the pace vs. Syracuse, and capitalize on break opportunities, they can give ‘Cuse fits. The key is to beat the zone down the floor. If Syracuse sets their zone, teams will struggle to compete. I could see a team like Florida State giving the Orangemen all they could handle, and possibly more, but FSU will have to get by a talented Gonzaga squad before they can set their sights on an upset.
Kentucky has been offered the toughest row to hoe. As a die-hard Kentucky basketball fan, it’s difficult for me to remain unbiased in talking about the Cats return to the dance. Potentially facing former No. 1 Texas in the second round is not a pleasant thought. Neither is the potential match-up with West Virginia in the Elite Eight. However, if these young Wildcats play to their potential, look for a battle vs. Kansas to crown the king.
Duke. I’d love to see Louisville or Cal knock off the Dukies (yeah, Duke fans, I love to hate you, nothing but respect, though), but I just don’t see it happening. Not this year. If the seeds dictate the play-out, I like the way Villanova matches up against the Blue Devils. Yep. I like ‘Nova to return to the Final Four.
Kansas. KU fans, congrats. Your squad is poised for another Final Four run, and rightly so. In terms of offering consistency, and excellence, KU was the best team in the nation throughout the regular season. Are they the most talented team? Definitely in the Top 2. Are they the most mature team? Absolutely. The best team? We’ll find out over the next few weeks. I honestly don’t see KU being challenged until they potentially bump into Ohio State–a squad that is peaking at the right time.
Upset Specials
Here we go!
Look at your bracket, and find the West. There are a few potential upsets brewing in this bracket which could make for a perfect storm, and a high-seeded Cinderella. The Butler vs. UTEP match-up, the Vanderbilt vs. Murray State match-up and the Xavier vs. Minnesota match-up. My bones may be way off, but they’re aching for an upset.
The Murray State Racers are a young team with enough veteran leadership to execute well on a big stage. They possesses phenomenal athletic talent, and put up 30 wins this season. Sure, it was the Ohio Valley Conference, and they lack the size advantage vs. their first-round SEC foe, still, their ability to score is comparable to the best teams in the nation. Combine that with the unimpressive way Vanderbilt finished the season, and I really like the match-up for this “other team” from Kentucky.
UTEP and Minnesota are both teams that could muster a game to beat nearly any team in the nation. And as witnessed yesterday, they can also lay a proverbial egg in the biggies. Regardless, neither first-round opponent should take these squads lightly. I like UTEP to get the job done.
In the East, I like Cornell to upset Temple. In fact, I think this is the worst mis-seeding of the tournament. Temple is playing some good ball, but the Ivy League champs are underrated, possess the tourney experience, and could easily put together a Sweet Sixteen run.
(Image via: The Quad)
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